NOVEL NEXT Chapter 34
Chapter 34. The Weather Over There, The Weather Over Here (1)
Too busy cutting grass, I only just noticed our food stock was nearly gone.
As for water, I’d been too lazy to go to the shed, and after the water tank ran dry, I ended up using up all the bottled water too.
“Sure, I left one water tank at the spring, but it’s not gonna fill up anytime soon.”
With that trickle, who knows how much would collect in a day.
“Guess I’ll buy another tank. And stock up on more bottled water too.”
Gotta stock up on food as well. Maybe I should try self-sufficiency with a garden or something. And the real problem is meat and fish—no fridge means no way to preserve them.
“Even if I buy them, they’d just sit in the car or out in the open…”
I’ve gotten used to tent life, but maybe I should build a roofed shed for storage. The branches piled up from cutting grass are stacked at the edge of the campsite, meant to dry for kindling. If it rains, that’ll be pointless.
But I’ve already used up most of my KP securing the water source.
“Guess I’ll just have to grind for more, huh?”
With a sigh, I got in the car and headed to the other world.
Past the tunnel and the campsite, I drove down a rural road through rice fields.
Once I reached the highway, big-box home centers and supermarkets dotted the landscape. Seeing this, I couldn’t help but wonder—was I really living in another world?
I parked at the home center I’d been frequenting lately.
“Looks like the weather’s getting sketchy…”
The sky outside the driver’s seat was thick with clouds. Looked like rain was coming.
I hurriedly checked the weather on my phone. It’s funny how I don’t even think about that until I come back to this world. (By the way, my phone charges just fine with a portable power bank. Amazing.)
“Wait, a typhoon? Seriously?”
It was already October—not exactly typhoon season—but apparently, some latecomers still show up.
And this one’s supposed to be pretty big. Some areas already had warnings.
“Gotta get back quick and pack up the tent… Think they’ll let me take shelter in the shed?”
Staying in a tent during a storm? Yeah, no, getting soaked is a given.
I rushed through the home center and supermarket. The kei car, now packed to the brim, handled heavier than expected. Raindrops had already started dotting the wet road.
“God, please don’t let me crash here…”
Muttering to myself, I headed back to the campsite.
Maybe because of the typhoon warning, the place was deserted. Honestly, I was annoyed at myself for not noticing earlier.
Just in case, I stopped by the shed, but only Inari-san was there.
“Oh, long time no see.”
“Y-yeah. So, uh, I heard a typhoon’s coming?”
“Seems like it.”
“Mind if I take shelter here until it passes?”
“Hm?”
“I mean, the typhoon’s coming, so…”
“Yeah, it is… but is the weather bad over there too?”
“…Huh?”
I stared blankly.
“Let’s just… take a breath, okay?”
Inari-san smiled faintly—then left me standing there.
“W-wait, what?”
The sound of rain outside suddenly felt unbearably loud.